42 fun facts about me

As I enter my 43rd year on Earth, my 4 year old nephew’s favorite planet:) Here are 42 fun facts about me. I will be 43 on June 10th! First quarantine birthday ahead!

  1. I was born in Westerville, Ohio and was primarily raised in Avon Lake, Ohio.

  2. I am the 2nd oldest of 4 kids (2 sisters and 1 brother). My parents are both born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio.

  3. I have 6 nieces and nephews and a 7th niece or nephew on the way:)

  4. I was a brownie.

  5. At the age of 3, I predicted I would like to be a baker when I got older.

  6. My first job was at Goodtimes in Avon and I worked in the kitchen.

  7. I don’t eat meat.

  8. I don’t eat vegetables or salad.

  9. I don’t eat fish.

  10. 1 don’t eat beans.

  11. I love bread.

  12. I love pizza.

  13. I love pasta.

  14. I love dessert (obviously).

  15. I rarely eat main courses and judge a restaurant by their bread and desserts:)

  16. I hate desserts that look beautiful and taste terrible (I have almost broken my teeth on way too many pretty, but overcooked cookies)

  17. I love to travel- I have been to Ireland, Italy, Bali, Costa Rica, Paris.

  18. I was a social worker from 2000 until 2006 for Cuyahoga County Department of Children & Family Services working with families and children at risk for abuse and neglect.

  19. I have a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University and an Associates degree of Baking & Pastry Arts from Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina.

  20. I had my own house for a couple of years on W 144th off of Triskett when I was a Social Worker.

  21. I climbed a volcano in Bali, Indonesia in the middle of the night.

  22. I jumped off a cliff in Costa Rica 2x.

  23. I surfed for the first time ever in Costa Rica and loved it!

  24. I am allergic to pretty much all pets.

  25. I walked out of a job 4 years ago before my 2 weeks notice because I needed to and it was the best and worst day. My anxiety was through the roof, I had burned out and needed a mental reset. I have no regrets for leaving when I did. I had a nun call me the day I walked out of the job early and order 1200 desserts. Talk about a sign!!!

  26. I love to laugh (according to my nieces, I laugh all the time- is that really that bad???)

  27. I love to sing in the car.

  28. I was the Pastry Chef at the Cleveland Museum of Art for 2 1/2 years.

  29. I rode a mechanical bull when I was working in Florida at the Everglades club in my chef’s uniform.

  30. I got to meet my favorite author, Jen Sincero in October 2018. I am a badass baker thanks to her book helping me change my life.

  31. I love to workout (equal parts yoga to relax and high intensity training to release stress).

  32. I see hearts everywhere I go.

  33. I started my business when I was 40- I never dreamed of being an entrepreneur- I cannot spell entrepreneur without spellcheck

  34. I was too intimidated to try recipes at home so I stuck with cookies and bar cookies until I finally went to Pastry school when I was 29.

  35. I love teaching baking and have taught over 300 baking classes since February 2018.

  36. I drove from Cleveland to Palm Beach 3 times by myself and loved it!

  37. I flew home in Mr. Ganley’s private jet when I lived in North Carolina to surprise my mom for my parent’s 35th wedding anniversary. Thanks Dad:)

  38. My virtual baking classes were featured in Country Living Magazine in April 2020 and since that time, I have taught students virtually in Hawaii, Canada, the Phillipines, India, Iowa, Utah, Missouri, California, New York, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Minnesota.

  39. I was named the 5th best Pastry Chef in Cleveland in April 2019 and I have the 5th most sinful sweet in Cleveland, my pretzel salted caramel cheesecake.

  40. I got to go to Paris when I turned 40 and loved every minute of it including the 40 miles that my friend Joyce made me walk the week I was there. I ate my way through as many bakeries as I could and took 2 baking classes in Paris with the amazing Chef Eric!! I had no idea I would be teaching my own classes 6 months later!!

  41. Fun people are my kind of people.

  42. I am grateful for 42 amazingly challenging and crazy years so far and ready for 43 to show me some new crazy adventures!

Thanks for reading!! I soooo appreciate all of you that take time to read my blog aka my ramblings. I am so glad you are here!!

I hope to see you in a class virtually. Stay safe and feel free to reach out anytime! I love hearing from you.

Annie

Ann LoParo